Pulse of The People: Troy City Council should get their priorities in line

Our great city has so many issues facing it. Crime in Lansingburgh is becoming an epidemic. The city has yet to really tackle absentee landlords and dilapidated properties. South Troy could use more businesses and better lighting is needed downtown. The city leaders need to refocus their attention to issues we really care about.

Instead, we see the city Council majority focusing on frivolous, supposedly feel-good issues. Dog parks and cigarette bans? Composting? These are the issues our city Council is dealing with as car after car is broken into, sometimes in broad daylight.

Unfortunately our city Council is out of touch. How about focusing on making our parks safe again, before we take on these minor issues. Residents in South Troy complain about not being able to let their kids go to the parks because of criminal activity. But instead of taking time to discuss that issue we waste time on appointing a police commissioner? I don't doubt for a second that the new commissioner will earn every bit of his $30,000 salary and he is a very good man. But you still cannot ignore that the council has its priorities wrong.

While there has been close to 100 robberies and acts of criminal mischief in The 'Burgh since the beginning of December, we talk about a new dog park. Mind you this group has been discussing dog parks for years and yet cannot even pull that off.

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The Council announces legislation to waive vacant property fees for city property owners, but it has been reported these waivers have only been granted to friends of certain council people. First off, waiving this fee, if executed properly, isn't a bad start but isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Instead of helping political allies or friends, why haven't any of our cities leaders looked into a land bank for Troy. The city seems like a perfect candidate for such an organization. Cities all over the state are taking advantage of a new state law allowing such organizations.

Let's face it, the majority of our city's current leaders, might be nice but are demonstrating they lack the skills to effect positive change and progress in our great city. A majority of these folks on the Council don't even get along, and are way too worried about paying back favors from an election that occurred almost two years ago. We deserve more and I hope for the sake of this amazing city that has come so far over the past decade, that we get better leaders in our local government. I, like many other Trojans are yearning for the safer and more prosperous Troy that can happen. So, please my friends on the city Council ... step it up!